Thursday, October 15, 2009

JOHN MEDEIROS

The otherworldly beauty of Giant's Causeway, off the coast of Northern Ireland, is shrouded in folklore.

According to history the path of hexagonal columns, running from the cliffs of the Antrium Plateau, were created after a volcanic eruption.

However, legend says an Irish giant named Finn McCool built the structure as a passageway to Scotland. Ireland is also the birthplace of featured jewelry designer John Medeiros.
There is a distinctive blend of masculine and feminine in Medeiros' jewelry, as well as varying cultural aesthetics.

The substantive quality of his signature knots and cable twists bring to mind a powerful Irish warrior, while the designs' inherent lingering curves and colorful gemstones seems representative of an ethereal Grecian goddess.

Medeiros' advent into jewelry design began at the tender age of twelve. After emigrating with his parents to the United States from Ireland, Medeiros worked part-time, after school at a jewelry company. The production of raw materials into items of great beauty made an unyielding impression on him.

In the years to follow, Medeiros moved into other positions within the company including manufacturing and engineering. In 1984, he established his own company, Tahoe Jewelry, acting as a manufacturer.

However, in 2000, he decided to include his own personal line, John Medeiros Jewelry Collections. "I've worked at every level, at first I was a manufacturer and then I started working with engineers. The designers would show me their designs and eventually I began to design myself."

Medeiros dedicated time and hard work to design and create his personal collections, which rival the look and durability of fine jewelry sans the high-end price tag.

His creations, highly influenced by Old World artistry and craftsmanship, implement rhodium and 14-karat gold plating with a premium, lead-free, non-precious metal base blended with an array of multi-colored cubic zirconia and semi-precious stones.

14-Karat Gold and Rhodium Plated Cable Twist Five-Strand Bracelet

His collections quietly highlight powerful symbolism of fertility, good fortune, and infinity within intricate detailing.

"The thing that most inspires me are the raw materials--the alloy base, the cubic zirconia--I know what the materials can do.

I know the inherent qualities, and suddenly I'll start sketching," he says.